When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions) (29 page)

“A Bible verse?” Him too? Seriously? “Sure.”

“Psalm 56.”

“Psalm 56 what?”

“The whole chapter, but the first few verses often bring me comfort when I feel like the bad guys are winning.”

He felt that way? “What’s it say?”

“Hold on a sec, let me get my Bible and I’ll read you the whole passage.” She heard his footsteps retreat, then come back. “Okay. You ready?”

“Shoot.”

He read, “‘When I am afraid, I will trust in you. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me? All day long they twist my words; they are always plotting to harm me.’”

“Boy, is that accurate or what?” she breathed.

He gave a light chuckle. “Yes, it goes on with David asking God not to let them escape and for God to bring down the nations. And that when he calls out to God, his enemies will turn back. That’s how he knows that God is on his side. Verse 13 says, ‘For you have delivered me from death and my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.’”

For some reason she felt a lump in her throat. Maybe God did care about her. Maybe he cared enough to put two people in her life who wanted to steer her to him.

Something to think about. “I like those verses.” She climbed out of the recliner, still holding the Bible, and made her way to the guest bedroom. “I’m going to look them up.”

A pause. Had she shocked him speechless?

Then he said, “Good, I’m glad.”

“Hunter?”

“Yeah?”

She curled up on top of the comforter and opened the Bible again. “Will you stay on the phone with me until I fall asleep?”

His husky voice came through. “Sure, just put me on speakerphone. I’ll do the same.”

“Thanks, Hunter.”

33

Friday, 9:52 p.m.

Hunter held his cell phone to his ear and heard Alexia’s soft, even breathing. He smiled as he put the phone on mute and laid it on the charging pad. Then he stood and began pacing. His mind worked the case, going over it point by point.

Something bothered him, something he was missing. The nagging at his subconscious wouldn’t go away, so he worked on trying to bring it to the forefront of his mind.

He grabbed the file folder from the end table and opened it before him. Just as he started to read, his doorbell rang. Frowning, he checked his weapon, then walked to the front door. A quick glance out the side window made him relax.

Katie. Opening the door, he said, “Hey.”

She stepped in and shut the door behind her. “We need to talk.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Lousy, but I can’t sleep and I can’t get better as long as this case has me by the throat.”

“I was just going through some of my notes. Want to join me?”

“I thought you’d never ask.” She pulled out a tissue and blew her nose.

Hunter rolled his eyes. “But if you get me sick, you forfeit your vacation days. I get them.”

“Dream on. What do you have?”

Together, they read through his summary:

Monday:

• Devin Wickham found dead in Hannah Allen’s home.
  

• Alexia attacked in the hospital parking lot.
  

Tuesday:

• Someone shoots at Alexia with darts. Chad shows up to offer help, to see how she’s doing.
  

Wednesday:

• Someone broke into Hannah Allen’s home and planted the knife in Alexia’s bedroom.
  

• Took knife to the lab. Found a print of a list of possible matches. No names recognized by me or Alexia.
  

• Alexia is almost kidnapped outside the restaurant. (How did they know she’d be there?) Chad shows up and rescues her.
  

• At the hospital, watched the videos of the attack on Alexia. No help there. Van was stolen.
  

• Alexia got a threatening phone call.
  

• Katie’s house burns and my car explodes. Chad shows up.
  

Thursday:

• Alexia goes to Wickhams’ and finds them murdered (or close to it). Chad shows up.
  

• Questioned Marcie Freeman. Got the note from someone interested in Devin and wanted Marcie out of the picture. (So, why kill Devin? Are the two related?)
  

• At the hospital, got list of people with keys to Allen house. Questioned each person who said they hadn’t used the keys.
  

• Got shot at outside the hospital. (Again, how did shooter know we were there?)
  

• Brian calls with information that Alexia’s father served time in prison for killing a man in a bar. Got out three months ago and bought a train ticket to Columbia a week and a half ago. History of family abuse—suspect?
  

• Someone followed Alexia to Serena’s house from the reunion committee meeting. Chad’s car has a flat tire.
  

Friday:

• Alexia finds out her brother is also alive and is a cop. Possibly has a grudge against her. Is he in town? *Call Marcus Porter.*
  

• Alexia goes shopping. Gets another phone call that she’s being watched. Chad shows up.
  

Hunter stopped. Focused in on the last three words he’d written.

Chad shows up.

A cold chill settled in the pit of his stomach. Chad?

Did Katie catch that pattern? He looked at her and saw the concentration on her features. Hunter glanced back at the paper.

“Hunter? I’m a little concerned at what I’m seeing here.”

“What’s that?” He played innocent.

“You keep insisting Alexia had nothing to do with what happened to Devin. I have to admit, after studying everything, I’m inclined to agree.”

“Yeah?” That was a surprise. After her adamant stand that Alexia was behind it all, Hunter didn’t figure she’d change her mind anytime soon.

“Yeah. After finding Alexia’s necklace at the fire, I knew it was her. But you’re so sure it’s not.” She glanced at him. “And I really do trust your judgment. So, I started going through everything. Combine that with your belief that she’s innocent . . .” Katie shrugged. “It looks like someone might be setting her up. I’ll give you that and try to help you prove it.”

“Thank you.”

“But you must subconsciously suspect Chad. You mention him in almost every notation.” Accusation shot from her eyes. “What are you doing, Hunter?”

His head felt like it might explode. “I’m trying to solve this case, Katie.”

“By blaming your brother?”

“No! I don’t think he’s involved. He couldn’t be. He was drunk and passed out when Devin was killed. He wasn’t anywhere around there, but after he saw Alexia . . .” Hunter raked a hand through his hair. “After he saw her, he just sort of fixated on her. And then the incidents started happening.”

“And Chad’s always conveniently there.”

“Coincidence?” Hunter shook his head. “I don’t know. One thing I
do
know is that he’s not a killer.”

No, Chad wasn’t a killer. But he kept appearing whenever something happened. And the fact that he was the one rescuing Alexia . . .

But Chad hadn’t been at the hospital when the shooter had tried to kill Hunter. Had he?

Could Chad do that?

Slowly, Hunter stood and walked to the window to stare out, unseeing into the dark while Katie kept quiet, lost in her own thoughts.

He hoped hers were better than his. Those shots at the hospital had been aimed at him. Not Alexia. Would Chad—

No, he wouldn’t even go there.

Chad was a crack shot. If he’d been trying to kill Hunter, Hunter would be dead. But the doubt now niggled at the back of his mind.

Was it possible the shooting at the hospital had nothing at all to do with the other incidents involving Alexia? He looked back over the list. Then at Katie.

She said, “We need to figure out a way to prove Chad has nothing to do with the stuff happening to Alexia. And we need to figure it out fast, because if someone else looks at this file and puts it all together like we did . . .”

“I know. I know.”

Together, they brainstormed a plan, and by the time Katie left thirty minutes later, Hunter felt the rock of dread in his gut expand, making him wonder if the decision he’d just made would be the end of him.

Alexia drifted between that state of waking and sleeping, not quite asleep, but not awake. Images flickered through her mind. Devin laughing. Devin’s fist shooting out and catching her in the jaw. Her father’s laughter, low, deep . . . evil. Her brother begging her not to say anything about the drugs she knew he was dealing. Her mother yelling at her to get out of the house and never come back.

Then Hunter’s comforting touch. His sweet kiss. The look in his eyes when he told her, “You’re worth it, Lex.”

Her heartbeat slowed. Her tense muscles relaxed. She drifted.

The house was quiet. Still. The light in the back bedroom went off.

The cop had parked on the curb, back far enough from the house to allow him a view of the front and one of the sides. He would be doing his next perimeter check in about two minutes.

The seconds ticked by. His door opened.

Right on time. The cop vanished around the corner. There was less than a minute to act.

The killer slunk to the back of the car, made quick work of the locked door, and slid into the backseat. The door closed with a soft click.

The meds had kicked in, and complete calm settled like a cloak over the killer’s shoulders.

A piercing sound jerked her awake, heart pounding. Sleep still fogged her brain and the thundering of her pulse blocked any other sound. Sitting up, she clicked on the bedside lamp. “Yoda? Officer Howell?”

Where was the dog? Where was the cop?

Stilling, she closed her eyes and forced herself to control her breathing. Her pulse slowed. She listened.

All was silent.

What had she heard? Had she been having a bad dream?

She rose and walked to the window, the very edge, and pushed the curtain aside just enough to peek out. Hunter had drilled it into her that she was to stay away from windows and keep the lights low so as not to make herself a target for a sniper. She could see the back of the unmarked car from her angle at the window.

“Yoda? Where are you? Officer Howell?”